mid-range cooler | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Wed, 29 Mar 2023 22:26:51 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png mid-range cooler | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 SilentiumPC Fera 5 Dual CPU Cooler Review https://www.kitguru.net/components/cooling/luke-hill/silentiumpc-fera-5-dual-cpu-cooler-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cooling/luke-hill/silentiumpc-fera-5-dual-cpu-cooler-review/#respond Tue, 24 Aug 2021 10:52:01 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=527750 It's a cracking CPU cooler, priced at less than £30 for the dual-fan model

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We are taking a look at a new 120mm-class CPU cooler that is very much intending to disrupt the budget end of the market – the SilentiumPC Fera 5 and the dual-fan version. Priced at a very competitive £24.99 for the single-fan version and just £5 more for the two-fan model, can these single-tower air coolers and their impressive 6-year warranty prove to be solid go-to options for budget buyers?

Video Timestamps:

00:00 Start
00:15 Introduction
01:09 Unboxing and first impressions
02:52 Heatsink layout and TDP
03:52 A closer look at the fans
06:23 Installation procedure
08:08 Test setup
09:41 Noise and 40dBa thermals
10:37 PBO and 4.1GHz fixed results
13:42 Luke’s final thoughts

Starting out with a look at the heatsink itself, SilentiumPC opts for a standard silver fin array that is representative of the aluminium material used.

The heatsink is asymmetrical by design and looks like it can be installed either way. However, SilentiumPC does mark 2 small arrows on the underside to indicate the intended airflow direction, as well as writing on the plastic top cover.

The fin array itself is 127mm wide, 110mm tall, and 52mm depth.

Adding in the plastic top cover increases the CPU cooler height notably. Installed on a processor, the Fera 5’s net height is around 155mm, so there should be no major chassis interference headaches

I personally like the top cover. It is perhaps unnecessary from an actual cooling perspective, but the dark black finish and SilentiumPC logo do look good. This is a far better appearance than the tops of the bare copper heatpipes underneath, in my opinion.

Running through the aluminium fin array are four 6mm diameter copper heatpipes. These emanate from the Heatpipe Direct Touch (HDT) base in a U-shaped orientation. SilentiumPC positions the coolers at different intervals throughout the fin array to aim to distribute the heat energy more evenly.

According to the manufacturer website, the quoted TDP of the cooler is 220W – whatever that means. Realistically, however, I would guesstimate that the very small base dimensions will be a tough challenge to overcome at higher heat loads.

There are no gaps between the flattened copper heatpipes, like we see on other HDT coolers. So, the base sizing doesn’t really cover an AM4 CPU heatspreader fully. But testing will show how much of an issue or non-issue this is.

SilentiumPC opts for 120mm fan units on the Fera 5, which is roughly what we would expect from a price point dominated by 120mm and 92mm coolers.

The Fluctus 120 PWM fan operates at a 300-1800 RPM speed range and is 4-pin PWM powered. Importantly, SilentiumPC highlights how the fan works in a semi-passive mode whereby the unit can actually stop spinning… motherboard fan function dependent of course.

Fan auto-stop is highlighted as below 5% PWM speed mode and start-up is at above 10% PWM point. Once again, this will heavily depend on your motherboard’s fan control implementation. Check out some of Leo’s recent videos for more on that topic.

The fans mount on rubber dampers to minimise noisy vibrations.

Utilising a fluid dynamic bearing design, the Fluctus 120 PWM fan has a rated MTBF of a highly impressive 100,000 hours. That’s particularly impressive and corresponds to an absolutely superb 6-year warranty.

72 months of warranty coverage from a sub-£30 CPU cooler is outstanding! Kudos to SilentiumPC there!

Specifications and Features (taken from manufacturer webpage):

  • Developed with synergy cooling
  • High performance, long life Fluctus 120 PWM fan
  • Excellent acoustics
  • Fan stop – optional semi-passive mode
  • Asymmetrical heatsink
  • Direct touch heatpipes
  • Easy mounting system
  • 6-year warranty
  • Pactum PT-3 thermal compound

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Zalman CNPS10X Performa Black Cooler Review https://www.kitguru.net/components/cooling/luke-hill/zalman-cnps10x-performa-black-cooler-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cooling/luke-hill/zalman-cnps10x-performa-black-cooler-review/#respond Mon, 19 Jul 2021 11:02:49 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=523441 Zalman is back in the mid-range cooler space - but how good is the CNPS10X Performa Black?

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Today we are taking a look at a new mid-range CPU cooler from Zalman – the CNPS10X Performa Black. Despite featuring the same name as the CNPS10X Performa (not Black) that launched earlier in the last decade (!), the new BLACK edition is vastly different – and it has no RGB lighting, which I know will be breathe of fresh air to some!

Video Timestamps:

00:00 Start
00:15 Introduction / pricing
01:16 Bundle and overview
03:10 A closer look
03:45 The 135mm ZM10XPB-PWM fan
06:18 Warranty terms
07:14 Installation
09:18 Test setup and procedures
12:05 Test results
14:36 4.1GHz fixed frequency overclocked testing
15:33 VRM temperatures / overclocked
16:03 Stock cooling results
16:35 Closing Thoughts

Priced with a target of around £33, but with suggested retail availability being more like £38 later this month, the Zalman CNPS10X Performa Black is firmly sat in the mid-range CPU cooler territory.

Looking firstly at the CPU cooler heatsink itself, Zalman has gone with an all-black design. This has a matte finish that is what I would describe as a pure black. The design is very be quiet!-esque; that is strong praise.

The consistency of the coating is excellent for our sample. Zalman advertises that it uses an Electrophoresis application method for the black coating which – if done correctly – may add some minor thermal performance benefits aside from just aesthetics.

The heatsink weighs in at 860g and has reasonably large dimensions of 135mm width and 155mm height. Certainly, watch out for VRM heatsink interference with that width of fin array. Zalman does, however, offset the aluminium fin array so that memory interference will be of lesser concern.

Heatsink dissipation area is 9271 cm2… in case you were interested.

Running through the aluminium fin array are four 6mm diameter copper heatpipes that emerge from the Heatpipe Direct Touch base. These are mounted in a U-shaped orientation, as we would expect for a single-tower heatsink.

This HDT base design is likely to be a good solution for a mid-range cooler such as this with a 180W TDP rating (whatever that means in a world of vastly different CPUs). It is not realistically intended to be paired with a CPU thermal load whereby the HDT design will become insufficient.

There is some gap between the heatpipes at the base, so this should allow for decent coverage on bigger heatspreaders such as Ryzen.

Regarding the fan, Zalman supplies a 135mm unit with model number ZM10XPB-PWM. The annular design is touted by Zalman as offering improved noise operation and a more focussed flow direction, both of which seem like fair claims. This 135mm EBR bearing design version is a clear step up versus the typical 120mm offering at the sub-£40 price point.

Powered by a 4-pin PWM connector, the speed range is rated at 700-1500 RPM. 1500 RPM is fine on the higher-end as that should offer a good balance of noise and performance for a 135mm blower. But 700 RPM on the low side is not particularly low when we see some competitors such as Arctic offering semi-passive models with wider speed ranges.

With the fan in place, the cooler extends to 95mm depth and there is an option to not extend the height past 155mm tall. You also get some design logic applied to clearance for motherboards VRM heatsinks. Though taller heatsinks will likely interfere a put a reliance upon moving the fan to a higher vertical position.

One minor point to note is that the 50,000-hour rated fan lifespan does not instil particularly high confidence in its longevity. 80,000+ hours seems to be more typical even for this price range.

And that ties in nicely to the warranty period for Zalman which we are told is 12 months. That is pathetic for a mid-range cooler in today’s market. Arctic competitors offer 10 years, be quiet! is 3 years, Cooler Master is 2 years, and even a budget alternative from SilentiumPC is 6 years.

There is a technicality whereby one UK distributor – VIP – offers a 24-month warranty. This should mean that retailers using VIP will also offer 24 months. But we would imagine that this could vary from retailer to retailer and region to region.

Either way, 12 months or 24 months is pretty poor indeed.

Specifications and Features (taken from manufacturer webpage):

  • 135mm Annular Fan
  • Asymmetric heatpipes for installation space
  • Motherboard VRM cooling
  • Heatpipe Direct Touch (HDT) technology
  • PWM fan with automatic speed control
  • ZM-STC8 thermal compound
  • Modern Intel and AM4 socket support

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